Mail receiving and delivering apparatus.



No. 896,713. PATBNTED AUG. 25, 1908.

SJSENNEY R. MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 6, 1908.

wammw ,d fiez 2672739 SHELBY DENNEY, JR, OF DENNEY, KENTUCKY.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed April 6, 1908. Serial No. 425,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHELBY DENNEY, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denney, in the county of lVayne and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Receiving and Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a mail bag delivering and receiving apparatus, and it has for its object the provision of means for facilitating the delivering and receiving of mail to and from fast moving trains.

Another object of this invention is the provision of peculiarly constructed means for allowing the delivering and receiving apparatus to be removed out of the way when not in use.

lVith these and other objects in view, this invention relates to certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my delivering and receiving apparatus in an operative position. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure depicted in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the receiving end of the car fork or bag receiving device. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the bag or object holding and supporting device. Fig. 5 is a view, in side elevation, of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a standard which may be located to one side of the track and in a proper position to cooperate with the receiving and delivering apparatus on a car. 'The standard 1 carries a primary arm 2 and an auxiliary arm 3. The primary arm 2 is pivoted at 4, so as to allow said arm, when not in use, to be thrown back out of the way. It is supported in an operative or set position by means of a flexible member, as for instance, a chain 5, which is connected near one end to the standard, by means of a staple 6 and near its opposite end to the arm 2, as at 6 by means of a staple 7, (Fig. 1) passing over the top of said standard 1. As an additional support, the primary arm 2 is allowed to rest upon a block 8, which is secured near the top of and to the inner face of the standard 1.

The auxiliary arm 3 is pivoted at 9 so as to allow said auxiliary arm to be dropped down when not in use. This arm 3 is held in its operative position by means of a chain 10 being attached to the supporting block 8 of the primary arm 2 by means of a staple 11, said chain 10 carrying a hook 12 and engaging a staple 13 attached'to the auxiliary arm 3.

The primary arm 2 is provided with two horizontal arms 14 and 15, which are held in recesses 16 and 17 formed in the lower portion of the primary, pivoted arm 2, Fig. 2. The auxiliary arm 3 is provided with one horizontal-extending arm 18, which is held in a recess 19 on the upper portion of the arm 3. The arm 18 is provided on its upper portion with notches 20 for the purpose of retaining the bag supporting device (Fig. 1) when delivered thereon. This bag holding and supporting device comprises an upper loop 21 and an auxiliary loop 22; these loops being formed,-preferably, from a single-piece of material, the upper loop 21 1161' minating in the auxiliary loop 22, which auxiliary loop 22 is formed of a portion of the single-piece member, to the outer end of which member is secured the hook 2 1, which hook engages, preferably, a body of the member as at 24. The auxiliary loop is provided for attaching the bag or an object to be delivered from a moving train, and said auxiliary loop is, preferably, threaded through a ring or around a portion of a mail bag, Fig. 2, whereas the primary loop 21 is passed over the primary arms or fingers 141 and 15 and the auxiliary arm or finger 18, Fig. 2. It will, therefore, be noted that I have pro vided a bag holding and supporting, flexible device comprising a plurality of loops, one loop being fixed and the other adjustable.

The catching and delivering device on the car comprises a member or bar 25, havingits ends journaled in bearings or supports 26, which are attached to the side of the car. The rotatably mounted member or bar 25 passes through an aperture 25 of an outwardly-extending member 27, said outwardly-extending member 27 being pivoted upon bar 25 by means of a bolt 28 passing through the members 25 and 27. The aperture 25 is made larger than the width of the bar 25, as will be seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing, for the purpose of allowing bar .27 a slight movement back and forth when delivering and receiving mail. To the outer end of the arm 27 is attached two cross-arms 29 and 30, which are pivoted at 31 and 32 respectively. The cross-arms 29 and 30 are beveled at their ends upon their inner surface, as indicated at 32, so as to form a point or V shaped device to receive a bag support ed by cross-arms 14, 15 and 18, Fig. 2. The arms 29 and 30 are held in their \l-shaped position by means of a hook 33, having one end held by a-staple 34 and the other end engaging a staple 35 attached to the arm 29. A portion of the hook, held by the staple 3 1, is provided at its lower end with a knob or head 36 to prevent loss or removal of said hook from the staple 34 when the two arms are not desired to be'locked together, or it is desired to lock the other ends for the reason of the car or train going in the opposite direction, the end 37 of the hook 33, which is shown engaging the staple 35, in Fig. 3, may be engaged in the staple 39.

It is to be noted that I have provided a simple and efficient bag supporting and delivering device carried by a movable support, as for instance, a car which can be swung to substantially a horizontal position for delivering a bag to a peculiarly constructed support carried by a standard at the side of the track and synchronously delivering of the bag, a bag or object will also be taken from the support at the side of said track, so that the exchange of objects will be quickly accomplished when desired. It is also to be noted that when the device carried by the standard 1 is set the pivoted arms 2 and 3 are in position for allowing the delivery of a bag from a fast moving train thereto and the removal of a bag therefrom; when the device carried by the standard 1 is not in operation, the supporting member 3 will be swung down by detaching the hook 12 and the swinging of the arm 2 upwardly and over for placing the same away from the track or in an inoperative position.

Fig. 5 is another embodiment of my invention. The chain 5, which is connected to the primary arm 2 at 6, is provided at its opposite end 5 with a weight 39, which serves to automatically throw the arm 2 back out of the way in an unset position when the supporting means for the bag is removed therefrom. The chain 5 passes through a guard or staple 40, which is attached to the back of the standard 1 to hold the chain and weight in place.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movable support, of a pivotally mounted primary arm carried by said support, and adapted to be projected beyond the sides of the support, cross-arms pivotally mounted upon said primary arm and being adapted to be closed together at one end for facilitating the removing of an object off from a support, means for securing said cross-arms closed together at one end, and means for supporting an object in position to be received by said cross-arms.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movable support, of a pivotally mounted primary arm carried by said support and adapted to be projected beyond the side of the support, cooperating cross-arms pivotally mounted upon said primary arm, said cross-arms being adapted to be closed at one end for facilitating the removal of an object from a support, and fastening means positioned between and detachably securing the arms together at their ends.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movable support of a pivotally mounted primary arm carried by said support and adapted to be projected beyond the side of the support, a pair of cross-arms pivotally mounted upon said pri-' mary arms, said cross-arms being adapted to be closed together at one end for facilitating the removal of an object from a support, and means for securing said cross-arms closed together at one end, said cross arms being beveled, upon their inner faces at their ends, said beveledv faces being adapted to produce a pointed structure at each end. when the arms are folded together.

4. The combination with a support, brackets secured to said support, a bar journaled in said brackets, a primary arm provided with a horizontal aperture, said bar extending through said aperture, means pivotally connecting said arm to said bar, and a V- shaped device carried by said arm and adapted to receive an object.

5. The combination with a support, brackets secured to said support, a bar journaled upon said brackets, a primary arm provided with a horizontal aperture, said bar extending through said aperture, means pivotally connecting said arm to said bar, and receiving and supporting means carried by said arm.

6. The combination with a support, of a member movably mounted upon said sup port, a pair of arms carried by said movable member, a fastening device carried by said pair of arms near each end, each fastening device comprising staples carried by said arms, a hook pivotally mounted upon one of said staples and provided with a head so as to prevent displacement, and said hook provided with means for engaging the other staple for holding the arms together at one end.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a primary and an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted upon said support, flexible means supporting said primary arm said arm being secured near the top of said support to one side of the primary arm, assing over the top of said support, flexib e means secured to the support and provided at one end with a hook, the auxiliary arm normally securing the same in a set position, an eye secured to said auxiliary arm, said hook engaging said eye for securing said auxiliary arm 1n a set position, a pair of cross-arms carried by said.

primary arm, a horizontal cross-arm carried by said auxiliary arm, said cross-arm provided with notches for the purpose of retaining the mail bag support delivered thereon.

S. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a primary arm provided with means for pivotally mounting the same upon said standard, said primary arm provided with a support for limiting its movement in one direction, means for bracing and supporting said arm upon said primary support and permitting the arm to be swung in an inoperative position, and an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted upon said support, and means secured to the stop and detachably secured to the auxiliary arm for normally holding said auxiliary arm in a set position.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a primary arm pivotally mounted upon said standard, a stop secured to the standard and adapted to be engaged by said arm when in a set position, an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted upon said standard, a flexible member fixedly secured near its u per end to said stop and detachably secure near its lower end to said auxiliary arm, and anobject supporting and receiving means carried by said auxiliary arms.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a support, of a member pivotally mounted upon said support, and arms extending across said member and being adapted to be pivoted together at their ends for forming a substantially V-shaped fork or engaging device. A

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a primary arm, means for pivotally mounting the same upon said standard, a support for limiting movement of said primary arm in one direction, means for bracing and supporting said arm upon said support and permitting the arm to be automatically swung to an inoperative position, an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted upon said support, and means secured to said support and .detachably secured to the auxiliary arm for normally holding said auxiliary arm in a set position.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a primary arm, means for pivotally mounting said arm upon said standard, said primary arm provided with a support for limiting its pivotal movement in one direction, means for bracing and supporting said arm upon said support and permitting the arm to be automatically swung to an inoperative position, said means comprising a weight, a flexible support secured near one end to said weight and near its opposite end to the primary arm, and means carried by said arm for supporting a load.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a support, of an obj ectholding and supporting device carried by said support, said holding device formed from a single piece of flexible material folded. and provided with a primary loop, one end of said primary loop extending beyond the other end thereof, and the extended end provided with a hook, the other end provided with an eye or an open portion adapted to receive the hook for producing a flexible, auxiliary loop when the hook is hooked into said opening or eye of the extended end.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a support, of a movably-mounted member carried by said support, cross-arms secured. to said member and having their outer ends in engagement for receiving an object, said arms forming a V- shaped fork.

15. In an apparatus of the class described, the combinatlon with a support, of a movably-mounted member carried by said support, pivotally-mounted cross-arms secured to said member and adapted to have their outer ends in engagement when positioned for removing an object off of a support.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SHELBY DENNEY, JR. Witnesses:

J. C. GoDsEY, M. L. BRYANT. 

